Friday, June 29, 2012

(2 Cor 12:7) And lest I should be exalted
above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was
given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above
measure.

There’s nothing like getting a
thorn in your flesh.The smallest thorn
can cause the worst discomfort imaginable.A beautiful hike can end in the greatest annoyance.You are brought to a standstill until you
extract every single thorn from your flesh and socks.But one thing it caused you to do is to stand
still and smell the wildflowers and to drink in of that pleasant aroma and
fresh air.Paul had a thorn in the
flesh.No, it wasn’t some kind of
thistle he was referring to.It was
something painful in his life that he had to live with that kept him humble and
reliant on the Lord.

The question that has perplexed
many for ages is what was Paul’s thorn in the flesh?It never really says but as you look into the
epistle to the Galatians Paul speaks of his eye problems.(Gal
4:13-15) You know that because of physical infirmity I preached the gospel to
you at the first. {14} And my trial which was in my flesh you did not despise
or reject…For I bear you witness that, if possible, you would have plucked out
your own eyes and given them to me.(Gal 6:11) See with what large letters I
have written to you with my own hand!These verses lead us to believe Paul was
troubled with some kind of an Asian eye disease he picked up on his first
missionary journey and that perhaps he never fully recovered from.Add to this his frequent sufferings and
persecutions and he truly was weak in his bodily appearance as his detractors
described him (2 Cor 10:10).

I’m glad it never really says
what Paul’s thorn in the flesh was because it could be something different for
each of us. It could be a difficult person
in our lives (Num 33:55; Pro 27:17), a physical infirmity (Mal 4:2), finances
(Gen 22:14; Phil 4:19); adverse circumstances (James 1:2-4); or anything else that
keeps us turning to the Lord and frees us from self reliance (Psa 34:19).

Is it okay to ask the Lord to
take that thorn out of our flesh?Why
sure it is.Paul prayed three times to
be free from his thorn but the Lord’s answer was no.But Paul accepted God’s choice for him and he
never complained.He adjusted to his
adversity and then learned that the grace of God was sufficient for him and
where he was weak he was strong through Christ.He was the apostle that took three missionary journeys, planted many
churches, and wrote almost half of the New Testament books.And all with a thorn in the flesh!Nothing stopped this man.What a great example for those who are
struggling with something that is constantly buffeting them.

May the thorn
in your flesh cause you to slow down and turn to the One who wore that crown of
thorns for your sins.Then watch what
the Lord will do seven days a weak!

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Surgery can be a scary thing.No one wants to go under the knife if they don’t have to.You put it off as long as you can and then
you have to face it.You make
preparations and get things set up the best you can and then it’s time for the
day.But as much as you prepare and get
things in order you still take your beating heart into that surgery room as they
wheel you in.Here are some thoughts
from God’s Word so your soul will be at peace for that important
operation.

BEFORE SURGERY: Fear may be the worst emotion you face as you think
about surgery.Your mind can go wild in
thinking about all the worst case scenarios.The doctors have to tell you the risks and when you do your own research
there are stories out there that can make you horribly anxious.But here is a promise from God’s Word: (2 Tim 1:7) For God has not given us a
spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.Isn’t that a great promise?God doesn’t want you to be caught up in a
spirit of fear.He wants to give you His
power when you feel powerless…His love which will settle your run-away emotions,
and a sound and disciplined mind-set so your thoughts will be under
control.

Think also how the Lord is with you, both now and always.(Isa
41:10) Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will
strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right
hand.’(Isa 43:2) When you pass through
the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow
you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the
flame scorch you.

DURING SURGERY: During surgery you will be in la-la-land but in
reality you will be in God’s hands.It
will be the surgical team that will be doing a skillful job on you but remember
every gift comes from the Lord.These
doctors and nurses studied hard in medical school and have put in lots of hours
of training and have built a good reputation that people can trust.But remember that all good things come from
the Lord (Jms 1:17).God will guide the
surgeon’s hands.The Lord’s presence
will be in that room and angels will be guarding you (Psa
91:11).

AFTER SURGERY:When you
wake up from surgery you will become gradually aware of your surroundings and
the post operation team will assure you of your success.It will be time to thank the Lord for pulling
you through. (Exo 15:26)…For I am the
LORD who heals you.”You will be
sore but that’s good.It means the
healing is beginning.You will stay as
long as you need to and then you will be sent home with instructions for rest
and a recovery plan.You will need
patience as you make your way back but think of the time you will have to pray
and read your Bible and to get close to the Lord.It will also be a good time to evaluate life
and the direction you are heading.You
will emerge into everyday life with a stronger focus than ever and ready to
execute God’s plan for your life.You
will be grateful for every little thing because you will be glad you made it
through surgery safely unto a better quality of life to serve God and
others.

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

There are so many differences between Catholics and Protestants
that some on one side wonder if the other side is going to heaven.What do these two branches of Christianity
have in common and where do they differ?

First we must make mention that there are some important doctrinal
similarities that both Catholics and Protestants share in common such as the
Trinity, the deity of Christ, and the death and bodily resurrection of
Christ.Both groups also strongly uphold marriage and
family as well as the rights of the unborn.As far as practice is concerned, Protestants must admit that Catholics
possess the exemplary characteristics of a strong faith, deep devotion, lifelong
loyalty, and propensity for good works.However there are some doctrines and practices of the Catholic faith that
diverge from the Bible and need to be pointed out with a scriptural
response:

- THE POPE is the head of the church on earth. (Col 1:18) And He (Jesus) is the head of the body, the church…that in
all things He may have the preeminence.

- MARY may act as a mediator between God and man. (1 Tim 2:5) For there is one God and one
Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus.

- PRAYER TO SAINTS to intercede for them: (Heb 7:25)…He (Jesus) always lives to make intercession for
them.

- PRIESTS have the power and authority to forgive sins. (Mat 9:6) But that you may know that the Son
of Man has power on earth to forgive sins”

- PENANCE: Penalties for sin can be removed or reduced by penance,
which involves doing good works prescribed by the priest after a confession. (Eph 2:8-9) For by grace you have been saved
through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of
works…

- PURGATORY is a place of cleansing and preparation for heaven and
where the punishment due to venial (forgivable) sins may be expiated (atoned
for). (2 Cor 5:8) We are confident, yes,
well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the
Lord.

- PRIESTLY CELIBACY: Catholic priests may not marry. (Mat 8:14) Now when Jesus had come into
Peter’s house, He saw his wife’s mother lying sick with a
fever.

- REPETITIOUS PRAYERS are common for Catholics. (Mat 6:7) And when you pray, do not use vain
repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their
many words.

- STATUES as aides in worship. (Exo 20:4) You shall not make for yourself a
carved image…

- SALVATION through baptism and sacraments. (Rom 3:24) being justified freely by His
grace…

In
asking the question ARE CATHOLICS GOING TO HEAVEN we come back to the basics of
our core beliefs from the Bible.And
that’s always a good thing to do!Let’s
let Jesus answer the question: (John
14:6)Jesus said to him, "I am the way,
the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.So it’s not through a church or through a
creed.It’s through the cross!Now the real question becomes…are you going to
heaven?

Monday, June 11, 2012

INTRODUCTION – All
of us have been touched by the tragic loss of someone we have known.Perhaps it was a family member, a friend, a
co-worker, a fellow student, or a neighbor.At other times we are surprised to read about a celebrity who has taken
their life.And for many of us there
have been times where there has been a personal contemplation of taking our own
lives.Life gets tough.We get angry and then depressed.We see no way out of our suffering.Then we start entertaining thoughts of what
it would be like be free from the mental and emotional anguish that just won’t
go away.What does the Bible say about
suicide?What can the Christian hold
onto when the dark shadows loom?Let’s
study the scriptures starting with Saul and then bring it on home to where we
live today.

HOW
SAUL DIED

·This account of Saul’s death is different from the account
in 1 Samuel 31:1-5.Why? It could be the Amalekite was lying and he had
come upon Saul dead and thought David would reward the person who had killed
his rival. The Amalekite would then be termed a battlefield scavenger
pretending to be the one who had killed Saul.Because he had Saul's crown with him, something the Philistines wouldn't
have left behind, we would infer that he found Saul dead on the battlefield
before the Philistines arrived.

·Others have seen Saul’s death in three parts.First he is mortally wounded by the
Amalekites.Then he falls on his sword
but this doesn’t do the job.He then
asks the Amalekite to finish the job.We
cannot be certain about all the facts, only that he died tragically.

·That’s the thing about when someone takes his or her own
life.You wonder what was in their minds
that led them to their self-destructive action.

o(1 Cor 4:5) Therefore judge nothing before the time, until
the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and
reveal the counsels of the hearts. Then each one’s praise will come from God.

SUICIDE

Here
are a few hard facts about suicide:

Over
36,000 people in the United States die by suicide every year.

In 2009
(latest available data), there were 36,909 reported suicide deaths.

Suicide
is the fourth leading cause of death for adults between the ages of 18
and 65 years in the United States.

Currently,
suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the United States.

A
person dies by suicide about every 15 minutes in the United States.

Every
day, approximately 101 Americans take their own life.

There
are four male suicides for every female suicide, but three times as many
females as males attempt suicide.

There
are an estimated 8-25 attempted suicides for every suicide death

·Suicide is not a new idea. The Bible records seven suicides:

oAbimelech (Judg 9:52-54)

oSamson (Judg 16:25-30)

oSaul (1 Sam 31:4)

oSaul's armor-bearer (1 Sam 31:5)

oAhithophel (2 Sam 17:23)

oZimri (1 Kings 16:15-20)

oJudas (Mat 27:3-5)

·Is a person damned if they take their life?An unbeliever will go to hell not for
committing suicide but for not accepting Jesus as their Savior.(John
3:36) He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not
believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”For the believer God’s Word is true that
nothing will ever separate us from the Lord: (Rom 8:38-39) For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor
angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come,
39nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate
us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.But there will be repercussions for the
believer’s suicide because of the sorrow he leaves behind and the
accountability that lies ahead at the judgment seat of Christ (Rom 14:10; 1 Cor
3:11-17; Mark 3:28-29).

WHY
SHOULDN’T I?

·So what should a person think about if they are
contemplating suicide?Why shouldn’t
they take their life to escape their pain?

oThe scriptures forbid it.The Bible views suicide as equal to murder, which is what it
is—self-murder. (Exo 20:13) You shall not
murder.God is the only one who is
to decide when and how a person should die.(Job 1:21) And he said: “Naked I
came from my mother’s womb, And naked shall I return there. The Lord gave, and
the Lord has taken away; Blessed be the name of the Lord.”

oGod has a purpose for your life that is not to be cut short
by self-inflicted death: (Jer 29:11) For
I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace
and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.

oGod has promised to see you through hard times and bring you
into the abundant life He has promised you: (James
5:11) Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance
of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord—that the Lord is very
compassionate and merciful.

oWhen there is God there is always hope! Read the story of the Philippian jailer in
Acts 16:25-34.He didn’t take his
life.He gave his life away to the Lord
and received back the gift of life!

CONCLUSION – Don’t
give up…give it up…to the Lord!Jesus
died that you might live! (Rom 15:13) Now may the God of hope fill you
with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power
of the Holy Spirit.

Friday, June 1, 2012

(Judges 18:7)…They were far from the Sidonians, and they had no
ties with anyone.

In the book of Judges we find the tribe of Dan seeking to migrate
from their territory in the south to the extreme north.As they were speculating the land they came
across a city named Laish that had no ties with anyone.They chose to be independent and not link up
with anyone else nearby.This was
unusual because cities would usually form coalitions with other cities and
people groups for security sake.But the
inhabitants of Laish broke from the custom of the day.

As the story goes, the Danites took advantage of their isolation by
striking the people with the edge of the sword and burning the city with
fire.The scripture repeats itself
seemingly to underline something we all need to take heed to:(Judges 18:28) There was no deliverer,
because it was far from Sidon, and they had no ties with
anyone…

A lot of Christians are like the inhabitants of Laish.They are independent in nature and refuse to
link up with other believers.They love
the Lord but they stand aloof from the community of the King.Perhaps that is just their nature.They like being alone with their own
thoughts.People may be intimidating to
them and far too competitive.For some,
they’ve had bad experiences with church or other believers so they cut their
ties and just want to be autonomous in their social life and associations.They’ll read their Bibles sometimes and keep
the faith.They’ll even listen to
Christian radio or watch Christian programs on the TV or internet.But they refuse to benefit from a satellite
hookup and so wander alone in space.

God’s people are sheep.Sheep sense the need to congregate with other sheep.It’s only natural.The Lord didn’t make us lone wolfs.He wants us to be together under Him as the
Good Shepherd.The Bible says that at
the moment of salvation we were baptized into the body of Christ and became an
distinct member thereof (1 Cor 12:13).The word for baptized means fully immersed.Are you fully immersed into the body of
Christ?Does it reflect in being an
active member of a local body of believers in your community?

Satan would love to pick off an independent lamb out there and have
him or her for dinner.Review the
benefits of fellowship with others in the household of God: (Eccl 4:9-12) Two are better than one,
Because they have a good reward for their labor. 10 For if they fall, one will
lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, for he has no
one to help him up…12 Though one may be overpowered by another, two can
withstand him.

Come on and join the fellowship!There is strength in numbers!!We
need you and you need us!We’ll be
looking for you at church this Sunday where the sheep love to meet and eat!(Pro
18:1) A man who isolates himself seeks his own desire; he rages against all wise
judgment.

LOUE AND CHERYL MONTEITH

About Me

My wife Cheryl and I are missionaries to missionaries. We encourage servants of the Lord to keep on in their calling and to never give up. 1 Corinthians 15:58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.